A superstition is a belief that some thing, number, day or action brings good luck or bad luck, or can make something happen, when there is no real reason why it would. Walking under a ladder, breaking a mirror, the number four, seeing a black cat, not sticking your chopsticks upright in rice — each culture has its own set. The word can be countable ('an old superstition', 'lots of superstitions') or uncountable ('superstition still shapes what day people choose to marry').

A superstition迷信 is a belief指的是一種相信 that some thing, number, day or action某個東西、數字、日子或動作 brings good luck or bad luck會帶來好運或壞運，or can make something happen或會讓某件事發生，when there is no real reason why it would而其實根本沒有道理支持它。Walking under a ladder走過梯子下面、breaking a mirror打破鏡子、the number four數字四、seeing a black cat看到黑貓、not sticking your chopsticks upright in rice不把筷子直插在飯裡——each culture每個文化 has its own set都有自己的一套。The word這個字 can be countable可以是可數的（'an old superstition'像「一個古老的迷信」、'lots of superstitions'「很多迷信」） or uncountable也可以是不可數的（'superstition still shapes what day people choose to marry'「迷信仍會影響大家選哪天結婚」）。

Two things worth noticing. First, it is usually a judgement word: calling a belief a superstition is saying you think it is not true. People rarely say 'my superstition' seriously — they say it half-joking, or they call their own version 'a custom', 'a tradition', or just 'what we do'.

Two things有兩件事 worth noticing值得注意。First第一，it這個字 is usually a judgement word通常帶有評價的意味：calling a belief a superstition把一個信仰叫做迷信 is saying you think it is not true就是在說你認為它不是真的。People人們 rarely say 'my superstition' seriously很少會認真地說「我的迷信」——they say it half-joking他們會半開玩笑地說，or they call their own version 'a custom', 'a tradition', or just 'what we do'.或把自己的那一套叫做「習俗」、「傳統」，或就說「我們就是這樣做」。

Second, plenty of people who say they do not believe in superstitions still avoid the unlucky thing, and will tell you honestly, 'I don't believe it, but why risk it?' That gap between what people say and what they do is the interesting part of the word. Historically it was also used, quite rudely, of other people's religions.

Second第二，plenty of people很多人 who say they do not believe in superstitions雖然說自己不信迷信 still avoid the unlucky thing卻還是會避開那個不吉利的事，and will tell you honestly而且會老實跟你說，'I don't believe it, but why risk it?'「我是不信啦，但何必冒這個險？」That gap這個落差 between what people say and what they do在說的和做的之間 is the interesting part of the word正是這個字有趣的地方。Historically歷史上，it這個字 was also used, quite rudely, of other people's religions也曾經相當無禮地被用來形容別人的宗教。